Raiders name team to play the
Dragons

Canberra Raiders halfback Lincoln Withers has been named to play against his old club the St George Illawarra Dragons on Saturday night, despite having facial scans this afternoon.

Withers was one of several Raiders players injured during yesterday?s 25-18 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs. However, Raiders coach Matt Elliott has named an unchanged line-up for this Saturday?s game against the Dragons at Canberra Stadium.

Withers had his nose broken in the 27th minute by an Adam MacDougall tackle. He had scans this afternoon to make sure he did not have any fractures to his eye-socket or cheekbone.

Results are yet to come back but Raiders assistant coach Terry Matterson suspected Withers would play.

?Playing against the Dragons this week, I think it?s going to be hard to keep Lincoln away,? Matterson said. ?I don?t think it?s really going to matter what comes up on the scan. Lincoln?s looking forward to playing the Dragons and I was really impressed with how he went on the weekend.?

Raiders second-rower Matt Adamson is also a likely starter. He had rehabilitation yesterday, following a knee injury which forced him from the field in the ninth minute.

Young prop Michael Weyman (concussion) had tests this morning and has been cleared to play against the Dragons.

Raiders assistant coach Terry Matterson said it would be a big challenge to get ready for the Dragons game, just five days after yesterday?s bruising encounter. He said any players in doubt would be given as much time as possible to prove their fitness.

?We know it?s going to be tough,? Matterson said. ?The Dragons haven?t had a win so they?re going to be enthusiastic, and they?ve got a couple of players coming back from injury. But we?re pretty confident we?ve done enough [fitness] work in the off-season to turn up on Saturday ready to go.?

Meanwhile, veteran Jason Smith said he and the team still had a lot of improvement despite the club?s winning start to the season.

Smith was instrumental in Monday?s victory, setting up two tries and scoring another himself.

?I think I?m still a bit off, there a few mistakes I want to get out of my game,? Smith said. ?As a team I think we?ve still got another six weeks until we gel really well together and perform well as a team. We?ve been playing good in patches, but not for the full 80 minutes.?